Collagen and elastin proteins are major components of the extracellular matrix of many organs. The presence of collagen and elastin networks, and their associated properties, in different tissues have led scientists to study collagen and elastin composites for use in tissue engineering. In this study, we characterized physical, biochemical, and optical properties of gels composed of collagen and elastin blends. We demonstrated that the addition of varying amounts of elastin to the constructs alters collagen fibrillogenesis, D-banding pattern length, and storage modulus. However, the addition of elastin does not affect collagen fibril diameter. We also evaluated the autofluorescence properties of the different collagen and elastin blends with fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIm). Autofluorescence emission showed a red shift with the addition of elastin to the hydrogels. The fluorescence lifetime values of the gels increased with the addition of elastin and were strongly correlated with the storage moduli measurements. These results suggest that FLIm can be used to monitor the gels’ mechanical properties nondestructively. These collagen and elastin constructs, along with the FLIm capabilities, can be used to develop and study collagen and elastin composites for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

胶原蛋白和弹性蛋白是许多器官细胞外基质的主要成分。胶原蛋白和弹性蛋白网络的存在及其在不同组织中的相关特性促使科学家们研究用于组织工程的胶原蛋白和弹性蛋白复合材料。在这项研究中，我们表征了由胶原蛋白和弹性蛋白混合物组成的凝胶的物理、生化和光学特性。我们证明向构建体中添加不同数量的弹性蛋白会改变胶原纤维生成、D 带模式长度和储能模量。然而，添加弹性蛋白不会影响胶原纤维直径。我们还使用荧光寿命成像 (FLIm) 评估了不同胶原蛋白和弹性蛋白混合物的自发荧光特性。随着向水凝胶中添加弹性蛋白，自发荧光发射显示红移。凝胶的荧光寿命值随着弹性蛋白的加入而增加，并且与储能模量测量值密切相关。这些结果表明 FLIm 可用于无损监测凝胶的机械性能。这些胶原蛋白和弹性蛋白构建体以及 FLIm 功能可用于开发和研究用于组织工程和再生医学的胶原蛋白和弹性蛋白复合材料。